Return of Marielle Thompson deepens Canadian women’s ski cross team

But just months after claiming her third title, the 26-year-old from Whistler, B.C., ruptured her anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments at a pre-season camp in October 2017.

Thompson and her medical support team raced against the clock post-surgery to get her ready for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Thompson had been back on snow just one day when Canada’s Olympic ski cross team was named Jan. 22, 2018. A month later, she was attempting to defend Olympic gold.

In what were her only races of the 2017-18 season, Thompson laid down the fastest qualifying time in Pyeongchang. But she spun out 11 seconds into her first elimination heat.

Canadian teammates Kelsey Serwa of Kelowna, B.C., and Brittany Phelan of Mont-Tremblant, Que., went on to take Olympic gold and silver, respectively.

Back on the World Cup circuit racing with a knee brace, Thompson has yet to post a win this season, but she’s finished second to fourth in five races.

“So far I’ve been in every World Cup final, so that pretty much exceeds expectations for what I was thinking going into the season,” Thompson said.

“I know everyone is on top of their game so the fact that I can be right in there with these fast women who haven’t had any time off is pretty great.”

The fast women include Serwa and Phelan.

Phelan, Serwa and Thompson all reached last Sunday’s final in Idre Fjall, Sweden, finishing second to fourth respectively behind Smith.

“I don’t think we’ve had three in a final for quite some time,” Thompson said. “You know they’re there and you know everyone’s going to race their hardest, so just ski.

“I think it’s really good to have such depth on our team, both men and women. You know you’re always going to have good competition when you’re training.”

The host Canadian team will have 18 skiers in Friday’s qualifying, which is solo timed runs to determine seedings for head-to-head racing in Saturday’s heats.

Thompson, Serwa and Phelan will be joined by India Sherret and Zoe Chore of Cranbrook, B.C., Mikayla Martin of Squamish, B.C., Edmonton’s Abby McEwen, Courtney Hoffos of Windermere, B.C., Ottawa’s Hannah Schmidt and Calgary’s Alexa Velcic.

The men’s contingent features reigning Olympic champion Brady Leman of Calgary, Montreal’s Chris Del Bosco, Toronto’s Kevin Drury, Kevin MacDonald of Mississauga, Ont., Reece Howden of Cultus Lake, B.C., and Zach Belczyk of Banff, Alta.

Blue Mountain is the last World Cup for the ski cross team before the world freestyle championship Feb. 1-10 in Park City, Utah.

Just as Thompson readied to return to the World Cup circuit last fall, her brother Broderick suffered a season-ending knee injury training with the Canadian men’s alpine ski team in November.

So he is travelling the same post-surgery rehabilitation road his sister did.

“I’m putting my two cents in definitely, but he’s got a really good team behind him,” Thompson said. “It’s definitely a similar path back to skiing.

“Lots of hard work and physio sessions and lots of gym work. He’s a pretty positive person, so I think as soon as he was injured he wanted to get back at it. He’s kept his chin up for sure.”

When she looks back on Pyeongchang almost a year ago, Thompson feels pride instead of disappointment.

“When we set out to at least try to make it to the Olympics, I knew it was going to be hard, but I didn’t really know how much work it would be,” she explained.

“I pushed myself a lot further than I thought I could. To be at the Olympics was a feat and to win the qualifying after not skiing on a ski cross course for however long, I think it really showed I could do it and it was worth it.

“I’m glad that I went for it.”

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Return of Marielle Thompson deepens Canadian women’s ski cross team

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